Don't Eat the Jell-O
by hook617
Summary: Emma tries to make dessert for the traditional "welcome back" party at Granny's, but Killian doesn't understand her choice in dessert. ONE SHOT.


**A/N: I needed to take a quick break from Lightning in a Bottle to write a one-shot. After seeing the deleted scene, it inspired me to write this. I promise, the next time I sit down to write, I'll continue with LiaB, but I needed a break to write some relationship fluffiness. Although, technically, this could be considered as a "deleted scene" for an upcoming chapter of Lightning in a Bottle (don't worry, no spoilers). So here's my own Jell-O deleted scene.**

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Killian trudged up the stairs with four bags of groceries tucked under his arms and two more slung over his hook. Emma had asked him to go grocery shopping to restock the loft upon their return to Neverland while she and Snow stayed behind to clean out the fridge. Killian felt lucky that David had been sent with him, or he would have really been out of his element. It felt like it took forever to weave up and down those rows of food. It was rather boring. But after his time in Neverland, maybe he could use a little boring. David got a call from Leroy to help him with a few things for the party tonight, so Killian was left to drag the groceries by himself after David dropped him off in his truck. Fortunately, he only had the bags of what David called "Cold Stuff" and he would bring the rest later in his truck. As Killian reached the top of the stairs, he banged on the door with his boot. He heard a couple hurried footsteps and Snow opened the door as she was throwing her coat on.

"Is David still waiting downstairs? He said he'd wait for me," Snow said as she ran down the stairs, not waiting for an answer as she pushed past Killian's armload of groceries. Killian adjusted the load in his arms as he walked through the door and dropped them on the breakfast bar. Emma was at the stove, constantly stirring something in a pot. Killian looked at her in confusion.

"You're cooking?" Emma looked up at him. Mysteriously bright colored splotches were across her face, and when she ran her hand across her forehead, more appeared.

"Yeah, I told Granny I'd bring something to the welcome back party tonight, and she asked me to bring a dessert."

"Are you baking a rainbow," he asked as he gestured toward her face. Emma rolled her eyes and ran a wet paper towel over her face.

"Just put the groceries away, buddy. If you don't think you'll like it, you don't have to try it," she said, trying to sound annoyed, but had that hint of a smile on her face that he loved. Now that they were together, he wanted to kiss the corners of her mouth until she surrendered a full smile to him. Instead, he nodded and proceeded to put the items in the refrigerator and freezer as instructed.

"What exactly are you making," he asked as he put the milk away, flinching as the faint smell of rotted food still lingered in the appliance. Emma resumed her stirring.

"Technically, it's just Jell-O," Emma said. "It's just boiling water, and probably the one thing I can't burn." Killian let out an audible groan. "What?"

"That's awful stuff," he complained. "That blue slop they fed me in the hospital? Is that all your world eats? I think I'd prefer chimera." This time it was Emma's turn to make a gag face. As Killian put the items away, he noticed a tray that had some sort of bright, striped contents. "What's that?"

"That's what I'm making," Emma said. She put down the spoon and pulled it out slightly, as to not disturb it as it was hardening. The glass tray had what looked like a blue and yellow layer. The blue layer was almost see through, but the yellow layer looked almost like cream. "Look, it has two layers and I'm working on the third." Killian looked in the pot, which contained a red liquid. "It's all Jell-O. My foster mother called it Knox Blox. I used to make it with her, but I don't remember it being this time consuming. But I guess all I did when I was five was stir."

"What unnatural looking colors," Killian said as he continued to place the rest of the items in the freezer.

"Henry picked them. Fortunately, we had the boxes of Jell-O already here. One of the few things that didn't expire while we were away. I did have to use food coloring for the yellow layer though. He wanted them to be the colors of the Jolly Roger," Emma explained. Killian let a smile creep across his face. He was thankful at how fast he and Henry enjoyed each other's company. It was almost like fate was finally shining on him after 300 years. He loved Emma and adored her son, and they cared about him right back. It was almost too good to be true. "Henry actually asked me to make this," Emma continued. "I made the mistake about telling him about it awhile ago, and when I told him Granny asked me to make dessert, he insisted I make this. I should have kept my mouth shut because something this stressful should not be the first thing I make after a trip to Neverland."

"Stressful?"

"Yeah," Emma said as she showed him the directions. It was actually the one thing her foster mother gave her that she kept. When it was decided that she'd have to go back to the system, her foster mother gave her all sorts of memories and things to make up for the fact that she was leaving. The recipe being one of them. Emma tucked it inside a book, secretly hoping she could try it again with her child some day. It had been a happy memory as a child, and sometime she'd like to try it with Henry. She just wanted to make sure she'd at least look like she knew what she was doing before she attempted it with him. "Look, you make the first layer, then while it's cooling, you make the second. But the second layer has cream, so you can't let it boil too much or it won't turn out right." Killian looked over the instructions, pretending to look like he understood what all those abbreviations like "C." and "Tbsp" meant. "Then, you have to pour this hot liquid over the 1st layer and hope that everything doesn't melt together. It's crazy." Killian handed it back to her.

"If it's so crazy, then why are you doing it?"

"It's what Henry wanted," Emma said. "And when you're kid asks a simple request, if it's in your power, you just do it." Killian gave her a kiss on the forehead as he handed the instructions back to her.

"Because you're a bloody brilliant mother," he said, giving her a wink. Killian slipped onto the bar stool at the breakfast bar and watched Emma as she slowly poured the last layer on top of the rest of the Jell-O. Something about her in the kitchen was mesmerizing, yet felt so normal. Killian folded his arms onto the breakfast bar and laid his chin onto his forearm. He still couldn't believe it. Emma loved him. And now that they completed their quest to get Henry back, they could settle down in Storybrooke, be a family together, live happily ever after. And after years of fighting through Neverland and plotting revenge, he was completely ready for the family life- just as long as he could still sail his ship.

Emma looked up at him between slowly pouring the syrupy liquid into the pan. "It's hard to do this when you're staring."

"Why's that, love?"

"I want to do this right, and I have to do it slow so I don't melt everything else. But I also feel like you're going to attack me at any moment so I have to keep my eye on you." Killian sat up and looked at her innocently.

"Now why would you ever think I would do that," he said, wiggling his eyebrows a little. Ever since admitting their feelings for each other, they decided to hold off on more intimate aspects of their relationship until they returned home. However, it had been a long time for both of them (hundreds of years for Killian, in fact), so they were each guilty of randomly pulling the other aside for a passionate kiss. Now that they were in Storybrooke, they hadn't discussed what they were ready for yet. However, in both of their defenses, they had only been back for a little over a day, but their previous pact burned in both of their minds. Emma tipped the last bit of liquid into the pan and slowly returned it to the refrigerator. When she turned around, she gasped a bit as Killian was suddenly flush against her. "You finished?"

"Sort of," Emma said as Killian nuzzled her nose, toying with her as his lips hovered just above her own. "I mean, I'll have to cut it."

"Now," he asked in a whisper, gently ghosting his lips over her own.

"No, it has to set, but that'll take another two hours," Emma said. Within a flash, Killian scooped her up over his shoulder and started to take her upstairs toward her room. Emma giggled as he carried her into her bedroom.

"Really? Carrying me off to my bedroom?"

"Pirate," he said proudly as he threw her down on the bed and hovered over her. "A really anxious pirate at that." Emma laughed as she pressed her hands on his chest. "Is Henry here?"

"He's at Regina's," she said softly, slipping one hand up to gently rub his cheek. Killian chuckled a little and kissed her palm.

"Your hands are a bit sticky, darling," he said, kissing her palm again. This time, he opened his mouth a bit, tasting the substance on her hand. "Mmm...I like that better than the other time I had it. I do miss those handcuffs, though." Emma shivered a bit as his eyes never strayed from hers. His eyes were always her weak spot, and when he looked at her like that, she swore she could melt into a puddle. Sensing where this was going, she tried to slide out from underneath him, but he was not giving way.

"I need to wash my hands," Emma insisted. Killian flipped so his back was on the bed, but he locked his grasp a bit harder, pinning her waist to his.

"You don't have to go, lass," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her again.

"Like I said, we have two hours," she said, sliding off him. "And I'd like to not be covered in Jell-O right now." Killian's lips curled to a point that she knew there was an innuendo bursting to come out. "Don't even think about it." Killian closed his eyes and tucked his hand behind his head, letting a wicked smile spread across his face.

"Oh, just try and stop me, love." Emma threw a towel at him hard from the bathroom and he chuckled at her. When she emerged from the bathroom, her movements were more slow compared to the playfulness at which she left him. He sat up slowly, his mood changing to match hers, as he reached out for her. The room suddenly became quite warm. She slowly stepped in between his legs, which were currently hanging over the bed, and ran her fingers through his hair. As they slowly moved toward each other, they jumped at the loud bang from downstairs.

"We have the rest of the groceries," David called upstairs. "Can you come help us, please?" Killian dropped his head down onto Emma's chest in disappointment, and Emma pressed a kiss into his hair. "Are you _both_ up there?" David voice had a bit of a threatening bite to it. Emma silently gave David a minute before she figured he would charge up here. Emma cupped Killian's cheeks and tilted his head so he gazed up at her.

"We should go downstairs," she said, not hiding the disappointment in her voice.

"Please tell me you're getting your own place soon," he pouted.

"I'm considering it," she said, heading toward the door. "Besides, there's always the Jolly Roger." The way she winked at him made him shiver. The thought of her and him alone on his ship made him practically bound down the stairs. As he passed her to help David with the remainder of what was in the truck, he gave her butt a little slap, then both of them continued behaving as if nothing had happened.

* * *

"Just try it," Emma said as she hovered a Jell-O square above his mouth. They were squeezed into a booth at Granny's, Emma practically on his lap as she tried to shove the Jell-O in his mouth. He would have enjoyed the position much more if the entire town wasn't crammed into the diner, not to mention Henry giggling at them from across the table.

"I've tried it before. It's disturbing," Killian protested, which made Henry laugh harder.

"Captain Hook is afraid of Jell-O," Henry said through his laughter. "I can't wait to tell the other kids at school."

"Oi," Killian said, sitting up a bit straighter and taking the Jell-O square from Emma. "Captain Hook isn't afraid of anything." He popped the whole square into his mouth. Emma was right. It tasted nothing like the runny gel he ate in the hospital. This was firmer, had more flavor, and the 2nd layer was creamy. It was actually delicious. Emma, seeing the hint of enjoyment on his face, puffed with pride.

"So, I can cook?"

"Like you said, lass. All you did was boil water," he said with a wink as he popped a second square into his mouth. Emma gave him a playful bump, to which he stretched his arm out around her to pull her close to him once more. "Well done, love. It was surprisingly good. Maybe Jell-O isn't so bad after all."

"They're really good," Henry said, trying to cram a whole Jell-O square into his mouth like Killian. "Thank, Mom!" His last statement was garbled by his full mouth. Killian and Emma chuckled. This was just one of the many memories they would make that night.

**Reviews, please!**


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